A Commander's blood
by SortingHat7
Summary: Set somewhere during S1, Clarke finds herself in an unfortunate position, alone and hurt. She sets out on her own to survive and find her place in the world. Along the way she meets new people and also crosses paths with old and new enemies. We also find out an interesting piece of Clarke's history and ancestry. I hope to give most characters happy endings.
1. chapter 1

**This is my first fic so I apologize for any mistakes. Also english is my second language, but constructive criticism will be welcome.**

 **This starts off somewhere in S1.** **Mostly Written in first person for now.** **A lot of inner dialogue with some comments said out loud during the first chapter.**

 **Chapter 1**

"Aaaah…. Why can't I move?…. Shit!" As I wake from unconsciousness I find myself alone lying on my stomach with the side of my face pressed in the mud beneath me. I am surrounded by darkness, feeling dizzy, heartbeat thumping in my ears and all I feel is pain, everywhere.

I turn my head awkwardly to take in my surroundings, first I see my trusted knife next to me and then, my stomach lurch when I see I am surrounded by wooden spikes sticking out of the muddy earth beneath me, which means that the piercing pain… "Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic Clarke…. Breathe, just breathe, you got this." My eyes water and I clench them close as tears start to leak. I have to focus on getting out of this, I can give attention to my emotions later. So I take a few deep breaths and focus.

After gathering some courage and unable to avoid the inevitable any longer I slowly open my eyes and inspect my body as best I can in the position I am in.

It certainly could've been worse but it's not a pretty sight. A big spike is protruding from the right side of my back, went through my abdomen. If I am not mistaken I was lucky, I think it missed all vital organs. I still would've bled out if it wasn't for the spike that is still in place. There's another spike grazing my neck… yet again lucky it is also shallow. Another spike left a big gash through my left thigh, slowly oozing blood but nothing too serious.

I also have a bump on the back of my head… "how did that?..." I just clench my teeth and bite back the tears as I realize what happened. Again I have to remind myself that I decided to deal with any and all emotions later, after I dealt with this, so I turn my attention back to the matter at hand.

My mom has taught me well and i know that i can treat my wounds and have a chance of survival but I have to move fast though, before the blood loss affects me too much.

I can't do anything in this position, nor can I with a spike through my side, so first thing's first, I have to ease myself off this awful spike and then staunch the bleeding, hope no arteries was hit and within the next hour I'll have to get out and cauterize the wound.

This is going to hurt.

Clenching my eyes shut and biting my lower lip so I don't yell out too loudly I slowly push up on my arms. I take pause and yell out in pain. It is unbearable and the tears start streaming down my face.

"I can't!"

Unbidden thoughts of Wells and dad come to mind, and I know that if I don't fight for me, I'll fight for them. So I put in the extra effort until I'm finally free of this cursed spike.

I tear off a piece of my shirt to staunch the bleeding and I push it deep into my wound for the compression needed, another piece of my shirt is used to bind around my leg as a tourniquet.

Now for step 2…. Getting out of this pit will not be easy. But at least there are vines growing on the edge of the pit so I use that and a few footholds I made with my knife to climb out.

It takes blood, sweat and tears but finally I pull my body out of the pit. The strain on my arms added with the blood loss was just too much and I collapse, arms shaking, lungs burning and breathing hard.

"You did it… you did it…" my relief is short lived as I know I must cauterize the wound and then even with my blood the risk for infection would still be high.

I gather my strength and move slowly and carefully away from that hellhole and as I move I gather dry wood for the fire I'll make when I get to the stream, the one where Wells found the red seaweed we used on Jasper's wound. When the stream comes into view it almost looks like an oasis and I collapse on my knees and drink and drink. It soothes my dry and sore throat and infuses me with some much needed energy, just enough to give me the strength I need to plough on and treat my wounds.

After 4 tries I finally get a small fire going and I can inspect my wounds. I clean all the wounds with the water and I am grateful that only the stomach wound needs to be cauterized. The graze on my neck has already stopped bleeding, the gash on my leg I just bind tightly and I also put some of the red plant under the makeshift bandage.

Now for the part that will test me. I heat my knife until it's red-hot and I take a deep breath before I press it firmly and awkwardly on the exit wound on my back, at least it is to the side so I can reach it. It comes as no surprise that I have to take a breather to calm my heart and shaking arms and tears before I proceed with the entry wound in the front.

The smell and the sizzling sound of the burning flesh gets to me almost as much as the pain and I finally pass out, hoping the fire will keep the predators away and knowing that even if I am safe for the night I have a long road ahead of me.


	2. Highway to hell

**This chapter takes us back so we can see how Clarke has gotten to where she was. Some events has been changed from how it was in the series to suit my story better.**

 **Chapter2**

2weeks ago

Jasper was hit in the chest by a spear thrown with pin point accuracy. We found him strung up on a tree just beyond a trap set for predators. It seemed as though he was used as bait, but he wasn't. His wound was treated and that was a safe place for them to leave him for us. It was a warning. The grounders didn't want us to cross that boundary.

1 week later

So far the grounders haven't made a move to attack us. I instructed the 100 to build a wall after Jasper's attack, not just because there are people living on earth but also because there are all types of beasts roaming the forrest. Bellamy fights me on everything. Trying to assert his dominance and rule over us all, the thought makes me scoff. I would gladly give him the leadership if he would make sensible decisions.

Another complication with being here is Finn who has taken to following me around like a lost puppy and then flirting ceaselessly. Luckily I rejected his multiple advances because a few days later Raven, his longtime girlfriend whom he seemingly has forgotten in her absence came down to earth in a drop-pod. Unfortunately it seems as though not even Raven's presence could dissuade Finn from flirting whenever she wasn't around.

Raven's coming to the ground had also led to another one of Bellamy's idiotic decisions which was the cause of 300 deaths on the ark, probably hard working, good and innocent citizens. And to make matters worse, Octavia has been missing since the radio incident and now Bellamy is out looking for her at this moment. And here I sit, awaiting their return so we can discuss how to make contact with the ark before more people are floated.

"I found this in the bunker when we were looking for supplies" Raven said holding up the small metal deer that Finn had made in one of his many attempts to woo me. "Did Finn make this? And did he make this for you?"

She certainly is smart. How would she know it was made for me? "Yes."

"Did you sleep with him?" Ok, maybe she is not that smart. I am glad that she is straight to the point, but i would have preferred to avoid this conversation. How am I going to tell her that Finn has been trying to… well, get in my pants.

"No Raven," I could see the disbelief and accusation in her eyes.

"Then why would he make you this?"

"Raven… I don….What the…?" I see Bellamy marching in to camp, with a captured grounder. A distressed looking Octavia as well as Bellamy's goons following close by carrying an unconscious "Finn!" Raven yelled running to him.

"What happened?" I asked Bellamy

"This savage captured Octavia and when we came to rescue her he stabbed Finn."

"Would you please listen to me!" Octavia interjected. "That grounder saved me and he treated my ankle. Besides I left to get away from you Bellamy, so if this is anyone's fault, it's yours Bellamy!" Seeing that Bellamy wasn't even listening to her, Octavia stormed off into the woods, followed closely by one of Bellamy's friends.

Sighing I made my way to the ground floor of the dropship to where they had carried Finn. I can clearly see the knife embedded in his stomach, and I know from the area and angle of the knife that it is too close to the stomach and to make matters worse it is also in an area that has large bloodvessels. "We need my mom." I told Raven who was bent over Finn.

With one last look at Finn, Raven stood up and resumed her work on the communications to the ark, while I kept him stabilized.

"Earth to ark earth to ark do you read me"….

"Earth to ark earth to ark do you read me"….

"This is ark station over"

After many attempts we finally got communication up and running and with the help of my mom and Jackson, I removed the knife and cauterized the wound, barely making it in time before the storm took out the newly established communications. Finn was lucky. After making sure that Finn were fine I went to the 1st floor where they kept the grounder.

The grounder is tied to the wall. He is tall and muscular. An imposing figure with dark skin, clean shaven head and a few tribal tattoos. But I truly admire him for his composure while Bellamy is doing his worst trying to beat out any drop of information. Unsurprisingly, the grounder stays quiet.

"Bellamy stop." I grabbed his arm, pleading with him. "This isn't right and you know it. Besides, if his people find out it will mean war and we are not strong enough"

"We have guns" I cringed, too many accidents surround guns. No finesse to handling it, too easy to kill, too loud to be stealthy. Any idiot can use it and not necessarily use it well, and for such an idiot-proof weapon it can do irreparable damage. Putting it in the hands of some adolescent teens without training does not bode well. I just don't like guns. And if we become to reliant on them we'll be lost when we run out of bullets.

"Either way, you have to stop. He doesn't even understand us."

Just as it looked as though I was getting through to Bellamy, Raven barged in closely followed by Octavia. "Where's the antidote?" Raven yells repeatedly hitting the grounder with the straps from the dropship. Octavia informs me that Finn started convulsing with froth in the mouth and it was obvious that the blade was poisoned. Just as Raven grabbed live wires to shock him, Octavia cut her arm with the poisoned knife, knowing that the grounder wouldn't let her die and yet again he proves that there is more to the grounders than what we give them credit for.

After administering the antidote it is clear that Finn will make a full recovery. And Octavia and I know that we should get the grounder, who we found out is named Lincoln, out of here. If we don't get him out soon, our chance for peace will be slim to none and we will all end up dead, for war will surely break out.

5days after Lincoln's capture

"Did you get it?" Octavia asked. I went to get a certain hallucinogenic berry, which we will give to the 100 in order to help Lincoln escape. Octavia couldn't go get it herself because she was closely guarded by either Bellamy or one of his friends.

"Yes" I answered, putting the berries on the table with the food.

By nightfall the other teens were too intoxicated to register anything and our plan was set in motion. "You go get Lincoln, I'll make sure the way is clear."

A couple of minutes later Octavia walked past me with Lincoln dressed in a hoodie.

"You're going with him, aren't you?" I asked Octavia.

"Yes, Lincoln's going to teach me to be a warrior." They have gotten close over the last couple of days. "We will also try to set up a meeting for you with one of the generals, then hopefully we can achieve peace."

"Thank you. Now you need to get out of here before they notice you're gone. May we meet again Octavia and Lincoln. Keep safe."

Before they left Lincoln grabbed my forearm in a grounder greeting, "Thank you Clarke" and then they disappeared into the trees and I went back to my tent.

The next morning came fast and here I am being greeted by a furious Bellamy who had stormed into my tent unannounced. I had hoped that he would only notice Octavia's absence later, but I guess everything can't always go as planned. "Good morning Bellamy." Always good to start the day by being polite.

"Where are they? I know you helped them escape and I know you brought those berries! You knew this would happen." I just look at him blankly which only seem to infuriate him further. "You better start praying we find her, princess!" he storms out of the tent in rage, bellowing orders to any and everyone.

The day went by quietly. Bellamy was out looking for Octavia. Raven is taking care of Finn as he is still recovering. I am visiting Wells's grave when Mbege, one of Bellamy's friends comes running towards me. "Clarke, we need you. You have to help! We found Octavia! She is hurt in the woods. Bellamy is with her. Please come quick." Panic spiked in my chest. I hope Octavia is ok. Will it be my fault for letting her leave if something happened to her? Please be ok. I quickly stand up and follow Mbege through the woods at a fast pace. The woods surrounding us are becoming somewhat familiar, I am just not yet sure when I was here. Just as I step into a familiar clearing I feel a hit on the back of my head. I fall to my knees and through blurry vision I see the trap and the tree where we had found Jasper.

I struggle to stay conscious as Bellamy's mop of dark hair comes into view.

"You have cost me my sister, princess. And because of you the grounders have knowledge of our camp. You've also been filling people's heads with the idea that the guns won't help us against the grounders and that we must learn to fight with petty knives and swords like those savages…. I can't have that. And you know what I think? You're anyway more grounder than us. You are a traitor and therefore you must die."

Fear strikes in my heart and without being able to fight back I am pushed from behind, falling to the pit below. Before I hit the ground I give up on my struggle to stay awake and let unconsciousness claim me.

 _~End of chapter 2~_

 **To the Bellamy lovers, he will undergo some character development in later chapters, and there might just be a happy-ish ending for him in the end.**

 **We'll get to know Raven too later on in the story. I do want to give her a happy ending too so if anyone has suggestions on who you want to see her in a relationship with I am all ears.**


	3. Clarke's journey

**In this chapter we take a look at Clarke's struggle and journey from where it ended in chapter 1, might be a little monotonous through the beginning, it was aimed as such to mimic what was going on, but the end is eventful.**

 **This will obviously be Clarke's pov, and contain some inner monologue and yet again some comments she makes out loud.**

 **The story will become quite interesting from the end of this chapter onwards i believe.**

 **Chapter 3**

I awoke to the glowing light of the sun shining on my face. I sit up slowly and take stock of my injuries, my side hurts and looks angry and inflamed, but that is to be expected. I move slowly to the edge of the stream and clean my wound as best I can and remove all the bits of debris that has found it's way into my wound. I then take some of the red water plant and I put it in place over the entry and exit wounds and wrap it tightly with the last bit of my shirt. At least I still have my jacket to wear. My leg will heal well but Bellamy really went all out when he hit me over the head, because my head hurts like hell and the bump is throbbing. I know that at the very least i should keep hydrated and not overexert myself if I want to make a full recovery.

As I go to drink water the reflecting sunlight catches my eye, so I look up to take in my surroundings. The sun is starting to set, reflecting off the stream and it is also coloring the earth in a magnificent orange- or pinkish glow. I wish dad was here to see this. No picture can capture the beauty surrounding me, yet, my left hand itches to at least try and capture this on paper.

A loud growl from my stomach interrupts my thoughts and I am faced with the reality of an empty stomach, fast approaching nightfall and being injured and alone in the woods for the night.

I know there is no sense in looking for food now, it's dangerous and I must rather find a safe place to spend the night. So I use the still burning fire to burn the discarded and bloody pieces of what once was my shirt, I drink my fill of water, kill the fire, take my knife from the ground and set off, away from the dropship and away from the mountain. Lincoln had told me how there still are people inhabiting the mountain and he told me of how the mountain men abduct and kill their people, or somehow turn them into mindless monsters called reapers.

I walk slowly but deliberately, and as I walk I keep my eyes peeled looking for the first relatively sheltered place I see. After walking for almost an hour the light has dimmed considerably and only the last of the day's light is still available, I come to a halt knowing that I am left with only one safe option and that is to climb a tree and stay there for the night.

I look around me for the most climbable tree and settle myself in it just as the last light of the sun disappear behind the horizon.

The night sounds surround me and I hear every crack in the trees as the wind blow and the rustling of the leaves seem louder than it truly is. A loud screech of an owl higher up in the tree gives me a fright and I nearly fall out of the tree. "Come on Clarke, don't be a wuss." The owl it seems, is taunting me, watching me with his big round eyes, studying me. It gives another loud screech, answered by it's partner in another tree and it takes off into the night.

I look up at the night sky and yet again my breath is taken away by the stars. They are so bright and beautiful, bringing light to the darkness surrounding it. One lone 'star' is moving, a constant, in orbit around the earth, the Ark. I think about my mom, her turning in dad hurts and I feel betrayed. How could she? They were supposed to be life partners, supporting each other. I don't know what I'll say to her if I see her again. "No, I don't want to see her again, and I am not going to see her again." I ignore the little voice in my head telling me that she's my mother and that she did save my life from Jaha's madness. There also might be an explanation for what she did to Jake, but I'm not ready to forgive her yet. Well, if we ever meet again, she'll have some explaining to do….. at the very least.

My eyes start to droop, and my body feels heavy, I know the blood loss is still getting to me otherwise there was no chance that I would be able to sleep in this position for my butt hurts already due to the branch I'm on. I look at my father's watch and see it is now almost 23:00, I shift to a more comfortable position that puts less weight on my butt. I quickly fall asleep after this.

I wake from my slumber at sunrise, yawning and stretching some muscles. If I am going to sleep in trees I'll need to get some furs, or anything to make it more comfortable. Atleast I was safe and didn't fall but my eyes feel heavy with sleep still and for the first time I wonder if coffee beans survived the apocalypse and if the grounders drink coffee, the idea amuses me.

With stiff and sore limbs I slowly make my way down the tree. As I get down I stretch my neck and back carefully trying to avoid any strain to my wounds, hearing some cracks in my joints as I try to get feeling back in my body.

I set off again, looking for some fruit or anything to eat as I walk in the hope to quench my hunger. After walking for about 15minutes I come across a deer eating something from a tree and I see what looks like some type of fruit hanging from it. Forgetting about my wounds I leap for joy, scaring the deer in the process and hurting my wounds too, but at this moment nothing could dampen my joy at seeing this tree. I feel as though I can eat the whole tree! I move as fast as I can towards the tree and pluck the fattest, juiciest looking fruit of them all and take a bite. The flavour and juice explodes in my mouth and I let out a moan in delight. After eating my fill, maybe a little too much, judging by the slight discomfort I feel in my stomach I take another one of the fruit to study it more closely. It's a little bit smaller than the palm of my hand, not quite round and making a funny point at one end, it has a purple-ish or greenish skin and on the inside it has this pink…..thingys? "Huh, funny fruit." But oh so tasty.

I get up to start my trek again, plucking two of the juicy fruits to take with me. I wish I had a bag to carry more, but I am grateful for the jacket pockets, the other jacket pocket is filled with the red waterplant that I took before I left the stream.

I walk and walk and walk, I am trying to put as much distance between myself and the dropship. Without having the burden of leadership on my shoulders I am able to take in the beauty of earth around me for the first time. Around midday I hear the sound of voices floating through the air. I listen closely, about three?… no, atleast four people speaking the grounder language. At this point I don't know if they are friend or foe, and with my injuries I am not willing to find out. Carefully and as quiet as possible I walk away from them in order to give them a wide berth.

By sunset I go through pretty much the same routine as the previous night. This time though, I took some big leaves I found to put on the branch in the hopes of eliminating some of its roughness on my skin. As I find the most comfortable position I eat one of the fruits. I am tempted to eat the other but with much self-restraint I leave the other one for breakfast not knowing when I will find a food source again.

The following morning also goes much the same way. When taking stock of my injuries that morning though I realize that the bump on my head has decreased considerably and the throbbing pain had lessened quite a bit. I opt to not yet open the wounds but to look for a stream where I can clean them properly before applying the red plant. I do take note though of the sweat clinging to my body, and the burning pain in my side. So having no other alternative I eat a few pieces of the waterplant hoping it works as an antibiotic, sure tastes like it. Afterwards I eat my precious fruit, getting the awful taste out of my mouth.

Around 15:30 I finally found a pool of water in a little clearing in the woods. With the sweat and heat surrounding my body I strip off my clothes, remove the bandages, inspecting the inflamed wound. I then walk into the shallow part of the water and lie down in the cool water with my head on a rock in the hope that it soothes and cleanses my body, while bringing down my low grade fever. I also clean the bandages as best I can and leave it on a rock in the sun to dry. After about 20 minutes of just lying in the water i wash a bit and then get out. With the sun out it doesn't take very long for the makeshift bandage to dry.

I apply the waterplant and bind my bandages. The water has helped with the fever but my head feels fuzzy and I realize my loss of appetite despite having an empty stomach. I can only hope that my body fights off the infection. By the time I am finished it is already sunset and after drinking some water I start my evening routine by looking for a tree. I am not feeling my best and thus I am not paying as much attention to my surroundings. I climb a tree and almost immediately fall asleep.

Thwack! Thwack!

"Oof"

"Pul we, chil au yu"…."jomp ai op nodotaim"

Thwack! Thwack!…..

I wake up to the sounds of voices and…. what is that sound? My head still feels fuzzy and my body feels weak but I shift my body into a different position to get a bit of a better view. I'm surprised when I see that this tree is at the edge of a clearing. Old ruins overgrown with plants are used as a type of arena. The sounds are coming from children and teens of different ages playing, no, sparring with wooden staffs. They're impressive, I don't even think I would be able to hold my own against them. There are 2 adults with the children.

The one is a middle aged bald man with tattoos on his head, he also wears a long robe, he looks like some eccentric priest. The other is a beautiful young woman with long brown hair pulled in intricate braids. She seems to be around my age, maybe a year or two older and has a commanding presence.

"Hod op….it was gud Aiden" she says.

"Natblida pair up in tu"

The kids divide into pairs and continue sparring with each other. The two adults walk between them correcting their stances here and there and giving pointers. After the bald guy spoke with two of the younger children who is directly below me they say something to each other, snickering behind his retreating back. They mock him with some humorous and highly accurate imitation of him, it looks as though they are saying he is walking with a stick up his ass. He is definitely not popular, and I snicker silently into my shoulder at their antics.

Unnoticed to me the area suddenly went quiet. The younger children look around curiously while some of the older ones go into fighting stances looking everywhere, not knowing what they are looking for but obviously thinking something is amiss. The most noticeable change takes place in the woman who visibly tenses, obviously knowing the source of the disturbance, before jumping into action, procuring a bow and arrow from somewhere and taking aim… right at me! She shouldn't even be able to see me and I am sure I barely made a sound.

"Chon yu bilaik en hakom yu kamp raun hir? Disha graun ste sacred" She clearly states. I try to shift backwards as slowly and quietly as possible. In my panic to get away I lose my balance..."Umf!" I land on my back in the middle of them all, and I briefly look at the heavens above before shifting my focus to the arrowhead that is now close to my face, my eyes run along the arrow and then the owner's arm, up her neck and finally I am met with vibrant green eyes and I see a truly menacing scowl on her face as she is clearly waiting for my answer.

Ah Clarke, what have you gotten yourself into now?

~ _End of chapter~_

 **Translations** :

 _Pul we, chil au yu….jomp ai op nodotaim:_

Pull back, calm yourself…attack me again

 _Hod op…. It was gud Aiden_

Stop, it was better Aden

 _Natblidas, pair up in tu_

Nightbloods, pair up in two's

 _Chon yu bilaik en hakom yu kamp raun hir?_

Who are you and why are you here?

 _Disha graun ste sacred_

This ground is sacred

 **Just some added info: the fruit Clarke found is a fig**

 **Please leave a review, constructive criticism is also welcome**


	4. Who are you

Chapter 4

"Ai laik hosh op gon yun ansa….Chon yu bilaik?" the cold voice above me demands. With an arrow aimed at my face there is literally only one thing I could do…

"I…I don't understand."

The brunette visibly tenses and her glare intensifies tenfold. "Sis em op" she orders the bald man and I am roughly taken off my feet and as I strain against the rough hands grabbing me I feel the burning in my wound intensifies while dizziness overtakes me momentarily. Luckily it was gone almost as soon as it came. It would not do to show my weakness to a possible enemy.

As I was being dragged away the woman yelled out: "hod op" she walked to me with an unreadable expression and took my trusted knife from my boot and nodded to the man to take me away.

As I am dragged away I see a city looming in front of us with a massive tower reaching for the heavens above. How did I not notice this before? I wonder. We enter through a side entrance to the city and even though I enter the city as a prisoner I can't help my curiosity. I see market stalls in front of the tower bustling with activity and I wish I could have a closer look. I am taken to a guarded entrance below the tower and there I am shoved into a cell, the door slamming shut behind me. The only source of light that enters the cell comes from a torch just outside the cell, but it is enough so I can see chains against the grey stone walls as well as a bucket on the floor. I wonder what the bucket is for?

At first I stood around, not sure what to do or whether someone will come. But soon I feel dizzy again and opt to sit down. I still have a low-grade fever and I really hope my body fights off the infection before it gets worse. Over the next few hours my position changes from lying on my back to lying on my side to sitting with my back against the wall. During this time I also found the intended use for the bucket.

Later in the afternoon two burly guards come to take me away. "Where are you taking me?" I ask, only to receive glares in return, their faces giving nothing away. They grab me roughly and bind my wrists behind me while I struggle against them. This time the strain on my wound is too much and through my struggle I feel the wound tear and I can just pray that it's not too bad.

They take me up in the tower to an elevator! I wonder how it is powered as we move up and up and up. "Where are you taking me?" I ask again, desperate to find out. They just glare at me and I huff "Look, it's not as if I won't find out soon anyway." We come to a halt at one of the upper levels.

As we step out we head to large double doors guarded by yet another two large burly men… what do they feed these people? They are huge!…maybe it's the radiation.

One of the guards at the doors stops me, he looks even bigger as he is nearing me. He has dark hair, shaven at the sides and a long beard with two braids in. He also has tattoos on his temples that meets his beard on both sides. "If you so much as look at the commander in the wrong way, I will slit your throat." All I can do is nod, hoping it doesn't come to that.

He then moves ahead of us into the room and signals the guards holding me to proceed. They strengthen their grips on my arms as we walk through the doors.

I am taken into a circular room with empty chairs arranged around the room and I am shoved on my knees. Apart from myself and the guards there are three other people in the room. The bald man who looks like a priest stands there with a scowl on his face, and a fierce looking dark-skinned woman with a face tattoo and short hair, who looks to be shocked by something. In the middle, sitting on a throne made of antlers, branches and spears, is the young woman I saw earlier today. Unlike earlier she now is wearing warpaint around her eyes running down in three tear-like lines beneath each eye. Between her eyes she wears a circular, golden headpiece but it is too far to make out the design. She is again dressed in black but wears a shoulder guard with a red sash running from it. She twirls a dagger in her hands, looking disinterested.

Behind them there is a large balcony letting in light to the room.

The dark-skinned woman says something to the commander but I can't hear anything of what she's saying. For a split second the brunette seems surprised but quickly schools her expression, if I wasn't paying close attention I would've missed the brief change in expression.

"Klark kom skaikru…. Rumour has it you are dead" the commander states, surprising me with her knowledge.

"Commander, I think you will find that the rumours are greatly exaggerated."

"You will show respect!" the black-skinned woman snarls. The commander looks as disinterested as always but she puts the dagger on her lap.

"Why are you here Klark kom skaikru? I was under the impression that you were your people's leader."

"I left the dropship in hopes to get a new start. I do not agree with my people's ways. I also didn't plan to come to one of your cities." I hope the commander accepts what I say and don't ask more questions about my so called death. I am not ready to talk about that, it is still a sensitive subject for me. Even if I can believe that Bellamy would do such a thing to me, I still feel betrayed that his friends let him.

The commander studies me closely with her calculating gaze until the priest-man interrupts her thoughts.

"Heda, em ste spichen en em set fut ona sacred graun"

"Shof op Titus" she says impatiently.

"Klark kom skaikru, your people have committed acts of war against us. Even if you were not with them at the time and were somehow presumed dead, how do I know they did not act on your orders or that you are not here as a spy?"

"You were their leader and you will bear the consequences of their actions unless you can offer me proof that you are honest."

She has a valid point and my shoulders sag, I have no proof of my intentions, I only have proof of my injuries.

"Furthermore you were found on sacred ground which is a punishable offense" she adds.

As she says this I take note of the cold sweat that has taken ahold of me as well as the searing pain in my side. I remember now how my wound had tore open earlier when the guards brought me here, it must have been worse than I thought. I reflexively look down to my wound and I see the wetness on my pants over my right thigh as well as the blood beginning to pool on the floor.

I sigh, making peace with my nearing fate, whether it be now or later, it is inevitable. The sigh that escaped me must have been taken the wrong way and in a flash the black woman draws her sword moving in quick strides towards me, but as she catches sight of my blood she halts, mouth gaping. The guards notice this and when they see what the woman is looking at they gasp in shock and release my arms. Without the added support of their tight grips, I fall to the floor weak from bloodloss and infection.

I don't register the silence that overtakes the room as the others also see my blood, nor do I register the murmurs of "natblida" that follows.

 _~End of chapter~_

 **Translations:**

 _• Ai laik hosh op gon yun ansa_

I am waiting for your answer

• _Chon yu bilaik_

Who are you

• _Sis em op_

Seize her

• _Hod op_

Stop/wait

• _Heda, em ste spichen en em set fut ona sacred graun_

Commander, she is lying and she set foot on sacred ground

• _Shof op_

Be quiet

• _Natblida_

Nightblood

 **Thanks for reading so far**

 **Please note that the only reason they were oblivious to Clarke bleeding out and not seeing it was due to her wearing dark clothing and a leather jacket**

 **I hope this chapter is ok, I knew where I wanted to go with this chapter from the beginning but I was unsure of how to get there, had a few options**


	5. Friend or foe

**This chapter is written in Lexa's point of view. It starts as Lexa's thoughts after Clarke answered that she needed a new start in the previous chapter.**

 **Cursive is spoken in Trigedasleng**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Lexa pov**

I do not want to execute or punish Klark kom skaikru. My scouts have watched her and I admire her for what she had done. She was the only one who thought of gathering resources as soon as they landed. She also made them build a wall, inspired some to train with more acceptable weapons and acted as a healer. I also believe that less of them would have died from the sickness we sent to their camp if she was there at the time.

I had also heard that she was rejected by the skaikru and that she was killed. I was obviously misinformed and I need to get behind that. But now I am unsure of all that I was told and it puts all I think I know of her in doubt. She is an unknown entity who is smart and who is from the enemy, she can be dangerous to what I have built here. I am bound by duty to my people and even the smallest possible threat must be dealt with aggressively or I would be perceived as neglecting my duties. Then there is the fact that she walked on sacred ground where only Heda, the natblidas and the fleimkepa is permitted. Titus will not let that go unpunished, but nonetheless I hope for her sake that she can prove her innocence or present proof of her rejection of the skaikru so I can spare her from execution.

After I tell her this she sighs, she actually sighs! As if she is exasperated by what I say, or... is she giving up? Nevertheless, sighing when in audience with the commander is disrespectful and she does not even look at me while I am speaking now!

Indra is quick to react to the disrespect but she stops short of what I am sure would have been a very charismatic threat. Why is she stopping? I hear gasps and as Klark collapses to the floor I see the blood pooling on the floor. The mask I so carefully put in place drops from my face. "Natblida" I murmur shocked at what I am seeing.

"Ge a fisa!" I yell to the guards.

"Fis em op" I order as a healer enters the room. As Klark is being tended to I sit on my throne. "Well this complicates things" I think to myself.

Titus walks to me with a serious expression on his face. " _Heda, why did you send for a healer? If you let her die no one needed to know of her blood... Skaikru can not be trusted."_ This makes me frown, after all his teachings to not let feelings cloud my judgment, he is now letting fear cloud his. And what he is suggesting goes against our law, this is unacceptable for a fleimkepa.

" _Titus I am well aware of the dangers of letting her live in Polis. But our_ _law states that any and all natblidas belong to Polis and the Kongeda. That includes natblidas of all clans as well as the clanless" I had to remind Titus of this it seems._

" _Heda she is dangerous, you..."_

" _Em pleni Titus! I am more than capable of making this decision on my own if you can not be objective in this"_ I state.

 _"Heda I merely..."_

"Shof op Titus... Bants, nau!" Titus finally leaves and I can think of the situation in peace.

I do not trust Klark enough to put her with my other natblidas or to let her roam freely around Polis, she will have to prove herself first. She has also barely been on the ground for more than a month and she does not know our ways, she will need to be taught that first. I shall also need to find out the origins of her wounds, Natblidas are protected by our law, it is a capital offense to hurt a natblida purposefully outside of the conclave.

The healer interrupts my thoughts: " _There is a deep wound that has gotten infected, it is also this wound that was bleeding so much...It...It looks like she was impaled Heda. I do not know how she survived until now."_

 _"Will she live?"_ I ask.

" _Sha Heda, I cleaned the wound as best I can and I cut away some infected tissue. I then stitched the wound as best I could._ _She should heal well if the wound is taken care of. I shall apply a salve daily and there's a tea that she must take three times a day. She must also rest her body for 10 days, maybe with her nightblood she only needs 5 days, otherwise the wound may open again."_

"Mochof Elsa

I look to the guards who brought Klark here _"Take her to one of the rooms for political prisoners"_ I order. " _No one is to enter or exit the room apart from Elsa. Let me know as soon as she wakes"_ and with that I stand from my throne and leave the room.

 _~End of chapter~_

 _ **Translations:**_

 _Ge a fisa -_ get a healer

 _Fis em op -_ heal her

 _Kongeda -_ coalition

 _Em pleni -_ enough

 _Shof op -_ quiet

 _Bants, nau -_ leave, now

 _Mochof -_ thank you


	6. Who I am

**I was asked to make the chapters longer. I tried doing it here, at the very least it has more information in I think.**

 **This is back to Clarke's pov**

Chapter 6

Yet again I wake up from unconsciousness to a searing pain in my side. I groan… really?…how many more times am I going to wake up like this? I suddenly realize that I don't know my surroundings and that I'm in an actual bed. It isn't big or anything special but it's more comfortable than what I've been used to since I was in solitary. There's a small bedside table next to my bed, lighted with a candle and with pots of salves and herbs. On the other side of a small room is a wooden table that is bare and around it is two wooden chairs with an older woman sitting in one of them. When she sees that I am awake she makes her way to me and I take this time to study her. She has shoulder-length dark grey hair braided in grounder-style with a tanned skin with some freckles. She also has friendly blue eyes surrounded by wrinkles. Her eyes tell a story of a full life. A life filled with grief but also love and happiness. It's hard not to take a liking to her immediately.

"How are you feeling goufa?" She asks me while putting a hand on my head feeling my temperature and looking in my eyes.

"Where am I?" I croak through my dry throat and without answering her question.

"Moba child" she says while filling a mug with water and helping me to drink.

"I am Elsa kom trikru, and you are in Polis tower" she answers my question.

The water soothed my throat and I open my mouth to ask my multitude of questions when she chuckles and puts her hand up stopping me. "Hush now yongon, you must first speak to Heda and if she does not answer your questions you may ask me and I will answer to the best of my ability.

"Now, I must first know how you are doing."

I nod and answer her question from before. "My side hurts the most. My head only hurts a bit. Other than that I am feeling ok."

She smiles nodding at me as she inspects my wound. "It has healed well the last few days, 4 days more and it will be closed completely. Your…"

"What do you mean healed well the last few days? How long was I out?" I interrupt her.

"You have been unconscious for 2 days child and I have been tending to your wounds. I had to turn you on your side by myself to see the wound on your back. Now I am glad you are awake so you can turn by yourself?"

I huff and roll to my side so she inspects the exit wound. "The one at your back looks less angry and inflamed." She dresses it with a salve and bandage before motioning for me to roll back, so she can do the same with the wound in the front. "You still have a small fever, but that will get better with my tea" she says before resuming her work.

While she is applying the salve someone enters and I reflexively grab the sheets to cover myself. "I apologize" the commander says. I huff when I see that she just goes to sit on the chair like she owns the place not even giving me my privacy… I suppose she does own the place and I am left with no choice but to let the healer take care of my wound, privacy be damned it seems.

When Elsa is done I cover myself again before she helps me sit up and puts pillows behind my back, so I can sit up a bit. She smiles at me and say that she'll come back later to bring me food and tea for the pain and fever. I thank her before she leaves.

The commander stands up and brings the chair to the bedside before she sits there. She studies me and I do not know what to say so I wait for her to start.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"I'm fine." I respond.

"How were you wounded?" she asks seriously. I frown at that wondering why that's important and why I am still alive since she wanted to execute me two days ago. I ask her about that and to my surprise she answers. "In our culture natblidas are sacred" she sees my frown and explain that it means nightblood and refers to ones with black blood. "This incl…" she goes to continue but I quickly interrupt, "there are more people with black blood?" She glares at me not used to being interrupted and continues "This includes all people with black blood irrespective of where they come from. To harm a nightblood is punishable by death. When a nightblood is found they are brought here to Polis to study and train. Nightbloods serve an important purpose here Klark, but I do not trust you to fill that role just yet." That was blunt, I think to myself.

"So what is to become of me?" I ask. "That is yet to be decided Klark, but for now you will answer my questions." I nod knowing that I am at her mercy. "How were you wounded?" I silently deliberate on how to answer. "I fell into one of your pits used as traps for predators." I hope she believes the half truth. I left out the part that I was ambushed and pushed by my own people, still not wanting to talk about that. In her eyes I see that she has come to the full conclusion but she just nods, accepting my answer for now, seemingly realizing that it is a still raw and difficult subject for me. I am thankful for that.

"You were surprised to find out that we had more nightbloods, I take it you are the only skaiperson with black blood?" "Yes" I nod to her.

"How are you the only nightblood?" Should have known this question would come.

"It's a long story" I answer and she just raises an eyebrow waiting for me to start talking.

"I myself, only found out why on my sixteenth birthday when my father gave me my great-great-grandmother's journal. It was handed down his line in the hopes that when inevitably a person with black blood is born, they would understand the origin."

"According to her journal it started when the bombs fell and a select few people were sent up into space to 13 different space stations to escape the the bombs and the radiation. My great great grandmother Becca…" the commander interrupts me. "Becca?" she asks. I nod and interestedly she asks me to continue. "My great-great-grandmother Becca, short for Rebecca, was a scientist aboard the 13th space station named Polaris. She believed there was a way to save more people through a serum that mutates a gene and helps the DNA repair mechanism in the body. It is DNA which are damaged in cells due to radiation. The gene mutation will also have a few other effects which strengthens the body. The serum was not approved for trials before the bombs fell but Becca had tested it on herself and it changed her blood to black. She still went aboard the Polaris because her skills as a scientist could still save people there. A couple of years after the bombs had fell Becca discovered that the AI she had made was responsible for the bombs and she knew she must take the Polaris drop-pod back to earth if she wanted that AI gone by the time the others went to earth. She could not go at that point though for she was expecting a baby boy and she still had to put the finishing touches on the v2.0 of the AI. After the first AI project was a deadly fail she improved it by making the v2.0 in a way that it would be merged with a human carrier, the human carrier would still have autonomy to make his/her own decisions but would be able to enter the virtual world to kill the faulty AI. The carrier will need the serum to be protected against damaging effects it may have.

Whilst she was still in space she gave birth to a baby boy, my great grandfather Clark" I frown at that, "Clark without the 'e' at the end, the 'e' makes it a woman's name, like mine" i don't know why I added this but I felt the need to do so I guess." The commander just smirks and asks me to continue. "After that, she left Clark with his father and gave him the journal so that Clark would understand her actions when he was older. Becca then bound the other AI to herself and took a few more serums with her into the pod to give to the possible survivors on earth. The serum would help them, but also if she failed in her mission someone else could take on the mantle and bind with the AI. I guess she did give the serum to people on earth then. Anyway, about a year after she left for earth in the Polaris drop-pod, all 13 stations joined to form the Arc. My great-grandfather had a daughter, named Becky and she had a son, Jake, who was my father. None of them had the gene mutation, but some genes sometimes skip generations. This is how I am the only one with black blood on the Arc… ever."

As I end my story the commander looks at me with awe she seems to realize this, clearing her throat and schooling her expression.

"You will not be permitted to leave this room unless I tell you so and then you will be escorted by guards" she says. Before I can interrupt she continues "You will start your studies of our ways our history and our language tomorrow morning." With that she gets up and leave, without so much as another word. Wow, what a bitch.

My thoughts are interrupted by Elsa entering the room with a tray of food and tea that she sets down on the table. She looks at me and after seeing my face she chuckles and asks "Yongon, why look so disgruntled?"

"Im not disgruntled." I deny.

"That frown and your eyes say differently." She says sitting beside me on the bed. I huff, "I am not so sure you want to hear this" I say honestly.

"What did heda say this time?" she asks seemingly amused. "I'm a prisoner…and she left without giving me an explanation as to why. I am confused and she silenced me when I wanted to ask something and then just left!" Elsa rests her hand on my shoulder with a sympathetic expression. "I do not believe that you will be stuck in here for long yongon. But before you worry about leaving this room you will first have to heal."

"Now, you must be hungry." Just thinking of food made my stomach growls. She comes to help me up and to the chair at the table. She places a bowl of soup in front of me and takes the other for herself to join me, she also hands me a bread roll. My mouth waters and I realize that the last time I ate was when I had the juicy fruit. I shove a spoon full of soup in my mouth and I close my eyes as I savour the taste. It is so good. I take a bite of the bread and I decide that bread is definitely one of my favourites. Elsa must realize this for she says: "Enjoy the bread while you still can yongon. The natblidas are on diets that only includes meat, vegetables and fruit. Bread is usually only given to them on special occasions." I groan at the thought of not having bread everyday. When I am done eating Elsa hands me the tea for the fever and pain. I grimace when I tasted it. "Drink it quickly." Elsa says. When I am done she surprises me with one of those fruits I love so much and my face brightens, she says it will leave a better taste in my mouth than the tea.

After I've eaten, Elsa gets up to help me to the bed. Once I am settled she picks up the tray and leaves for the door saying goodnight. Just as she is about to leave, a thought struck me and I ask: "what do you call that fruit Elsa?" She smiles "It's a fig… it's heda's favourite too." And with that she leaves.

After she left, I close my eyes and with a full stomach for the first time in ages I smile before I drift off to sleep.

 _~End of chapter~_

 **Translations:**

 _Goufa / yongon -_ child / young one

 _Moba -_ sorry

 **Thank you all for the support for this story. I appreciate that. If you have some constructive criticism, let me know.**

 **Just so you guys know, the CoL does NOT play a big role in this fic. Maybe a little role later, but nothing major**


	7. Just some clear ups, not a chapter

Not a chapter

Thank you for reading and for the reviews. I appreciate the reviews and follows etc.

Someone wrote a review yesterday, and it seems I have to clear a few things out.

First of all, Clarke is not sticking up for Bellamy. She is still dealing and coming to terms with what happened. She also doesn't know Lexa yet. It already is a sensitive subject to her, so she is not yet willing to speak to somebody she doesn't know about it. I am also trying to stay halfway true to the characters personalities, and clarke's first instinct is to protect the 100, well most of them, not all. But what happened there will come out when she's ready.

2nd of all, i did not write clarke as weak. An interesting part of her personality is planned to show itself soon, but so far it was mostly in her thoughts. She also never fainted due to emotions being too much or something like that. She fainted due to blood loss. We all wouldve died already if it was us.

Lexa is also not exactly being a bitch. She had always been bound to protect her people irrespective of her feelings. And I did explain previously her thought processes. Clarke is an unknown entity and from the enemy, she can just as well be an inside man. Lexa doesnt believe this though but she is forced to act objectively. Furthermore Lexa is just coming across as a bitch but she really isnt but it will play a part in clarke's intended personality that will show soon.

Hopefully this clears some things up.


	8. Natblida studies

**Wow finally finished this chapter. Was a bit difficult to write, had to dig deep into my creativity to think of how to approach this and ive always been of the opinion that creativity is not my strongsuit.**

 **Thanks for the reviews and for those supporting this story and have understanding for the room i leave for character development. Not everything in life will go your way and most of the time insult is added to injury. So i plan on staying true to the depth of some characters even if it brings difficulties, misunderstandings and some personality clashes. I'm trying to keep it emotionally realistic.**

 **But character development will happen.**

 **This chapter mostly gives background but it's important going forward and is the intro to Clarke's studies. I've added a bit detail to grounder history and there is and will be a few more changes from the show regarding this history**

Chapter 7

Elsa wakes me up the following morning bringing breakfast and coming to check up on my wounds. It is soooo early and I groan… "give me 5 more minutes Elsa" I say pressing my head further into the pillow. She chuckles, "your lesson is due to start soon, it would be best if you have breakfast before that, sha?"...another groan... "But let me see your wounds first." She is seemingly pleased with the healing of both of my wounds and only redress the front wound, stating that the one on my back is ready to be left open to heal further. I stand up and I am given clean clothes to wear. After finishing breakfast Elsa hands me the herbal tea. I grimace but quickly drink it in two gulps. After that I am pleased to find another fruit before me, this one I recognize as an apple. The apple too is juicy and sweet, I love it, but figs stay my favourite. I am though looking forward to tasting more fruit in my time on the ground.

Just as I take the last bite of my fig the commander enters. "Morning Heda" Elsa says. "Morning Elsa" the commander says in greeting as Elsa leaves the room.

"Morning Klark" the commander says coming to sit at the table. "Did you sleep well?" she asks after taking her seat. "I'm a prisoner" I state plainly like that answers everything. The commander's face betrays nothing and she just nods accepting my answer. "Are you ready for your lesson, Klark?" She asks saying my name in a way only she seems to do. "Do I have a choice, Lexa?" I say testing her. She gapes at me not suspecting her name or the mocking. It looks as though she wants to argue, but surprisingly she just nods. I am also surprised by the fact that she herself is teaching me, I would've thought she would hand it over to one of her servants or the bald man, I suppose she wants to keep an eye on me.

"Today I will start by teaching you trigedasleng. The english you speak is called gonasleng which directly translates to warrior language, as only the warriors are taught to speak it." I nod in understanding, and so we proceed. She teaches me for the next three hours with only a small break in the middle. I am surprised that I caught on quite easily, but now my mind has started to wander. I study her face as she speaks, she really is beautiful with her green eyes, full lips, sharp jawline and she's truly been blessed with a fantastic nose... I mean who has that! It is a shame she doesn't have the personality to back it. I wonder what I have to do to gain her trust so I can finally walk around, breathe in fresh air, and walk through the market.

When I look at her I see she looks at me expectantly waiting for me to either translate something to trigedasleng or to answer something in trigedasleng." I smile shyly hoping in a way I can be spared of answering. She raises her eyebrows, not letting down. I don't want to admit that I didn't listen so what can I do…. I just raise my eyebrows too. "Mockery is not the product of a strong mind, Klark… and we shall sit here until you answer my question." I think, trying desperately to recall her question but to no avail. Unsure of what to say I decide to keep it simple, she did say it was a question. My mind made up, I answer "sha?" She gives a small smile, "you were lucky with that answer Klark." Translate my question, i'll say it again, "laik yu enti?"…

I look at her incredulous "I am not an empty person I assure you, I would never answer yes to that question" as I say this my stomach growls loudly and she laughs. A lightbulb goes off, "but…my stomach is empty."

I smile, "you asked if I am hungry?"

She nods and goes to the door talking to say something to the the guard outside, she then walks to to the window and stands with her hands behind her back. I go to stand next to her. "When will you let me out Lexa?" I ask. She turns to look at me, eyes traveling over my face before settling on my eyes. "When I am sure you aren't a threat…or, when you present me with some sort of proof that you are not part of skaikru anymore." I stay quiet and look out the window while she still studies me.

The door opens and a guard brings in a tray with two plates of food and the herbal tea that is meant for me. He also replaces the empty jug of water with a new one. We go to sit around the table and eat in silence, it is not an uncomfortable silence for we are both lost in our own thoughts. The plates are filled with pieces of dried meat, green beans and I am pleased to see that we each have a fig too. The meat is salty and tasty. The beans have spices on that really compliments the flavour. On the Arc we usually ate processed, bland food, and I admit that I have missed out on this the first 18 years of my life. The commander eats slowly and still seems to be contemplating something. After I ate the meat and beans I gulp the tea down as fast as I can and quickly go to grab the fig so I can get this awful taste out of my mouth. As I bite down I am yet again reminded how good it tastes. When I am done I see the commander looking at me. "You like the figs?" she asks. "Yes, they are so tasty and…" I stay silent for a bit deciding on whether I should tell the next part. She stays quiet waiting for me to finish. "A day after I was injured, I was too weak to hunt and I desperately needed food, it was at this point that I found a fig tree full of big and juicy fruit, it quite literally saved my life. It is also the first fruit I tasted….ever."

She listens intently and then hold out her fig to me, "You can have mine too if you want."… I am at a loss for words, unsuspecting of this small kindness. Maybe she does have some personality to back up her looks? "Mochof heda" I say hoping I said it right. She slightly frowns at that before schooling her expression again "Pro Klark."

My butt hurts from sitting on that chair all day so I stand up again to go look out of the window. We are on the second, maybe third floor and the streets below are bustling with activity, the market stalls full and kids running between them. The commander comes to stand next to me looking with pride at her city. "Come Klark" she says after a while "you have a lot to catch up on." I follow the commander to the table and we sit around the table again.

"For the last lesson of today I shall tell you about the coalition and the clans within the coalition" she tells me as I listen attentively.

"After the bombs fell, those that survived initially were scattered and few. They started forming small groups of maybe 5-6 members in which they could hunt and work together to survive. Those that stayed alone did not live long, because they were either hunted by animals, or even other survivors for they were easy targets, or they died due to starvation because they just could not cope. As time went on a lot of these small groups were formed, but because there were so many of the groups they crossed paths with each other too often and fought one another. Fought for food, for territory, for shelter, sometimes even for women. Because they were so small, they also needed to seek companionship elsewhere which obviously brought on more problems. As winter came, a lot of the people freezed to death and the small groups just did not have the manpower to build proper shelters and still provide food and so forth. So one by one the groups started merging.

This happened in more or less the same manner in all the territories, and this is how the different clans were formed. Each of them staying in a different territory and thus learning their own land, animals, plants and weather, unaware of the other clans' existence. So they built and grew, each clan at their own pace. More families began to form within one clan, and some families wanted more privacy away from all the masses that started to live in one place, so those families went to farm away from the rest of the clan and then just trade for goods, and so they did. They were sometimes joined by other families and this is how smaller villages were formed within one clan. So eventually the clans started to expand their territory, and this is when clan wars started to break out between each of the eleven clans, as they were then. They fought for land and any and all resources that their land does not provide, but some just fought for dominance, and this is how one of the smaller clans were wiped out. Leaving ten clans." I listen to this intently, interested in how they started and starting to understand their ways more.

After this she takes out a map of the territory.

"The ten remaining clans were the Trigedakru or Forrest people." She points to where the Trikru is located on the map. "We are in the Trikru territory now and as you saw, it mostly consists of forrest with a few streams running through the territory. It is also rich in resources, but also dangerous due to the many wild animals. We specialize in hunting and wood work and from a warrior's point of view we have excellent scouts and our ranged offense and traps are second to none."… "Yes, I know all about the traps" I interrupt. The commander just raise her brows and continues. "Polis is our biggest city and also the coalition capital, there are also a few smaller villages, each with their own chief."

She then points to another area. "Yujleida or clan of foliage or otherwise called the broadleaf clan is one of our neighboring clans and it lies directly West to our Northern region. Their territory is hot and humid with lots of green plants and a big river running through their territory, but not a lot of trees. They trade with vegetables and herbs for medicine. They also make some poisons from certain plants but they mostly make antidotes. There is some deer in that area but a lot of insects, spiders and lizards. As fighters they are good with the sword."

The commander now moves her hand to the area South-West of the Trikru. "The Trishanakru or glowing forrest clan is also our neighbors and lies here. They have plants that glow at night and the ground there is permanently wet and muddy making it impossible for them to build huts on the ground, therefore they live in treehouses. They are also good with the bow and arrow and they are known to use their surroundings to their advantage."

"To our South is the Boudalan clan or people of the rocks, their settlements are on large hills next to the ocean. The area contains a lot of rocks and grass. They farm with goats and cows on a large scale and their buildings are built with stone. They are good strategists and build war machines like catapults."

She then points to the area West of the Rock Line clan and South to the Glowing forrest clan. "Here the Louwoda Kliron or Shallow valley is found. This clan lives on the riverbanks next to a usually slow flowing river that eventually runs into the sea. They use small boats to move to the buildings on the opposite side of the river. They live off the surrounding forests and the creatures living in the water. Their territory has alligators and large snakes from which the skin is used for armor or weaponry. Their warriors are known for their agility and hand to hand combat."

"West of the Glowing Forrest clan and South of Broadleaf is the Sankru or Desert people. Early on in the clan wars they lost a battle and to avoid being wiped out or taken as slaves, they fled to the desert. They had adapted to living in those conditions and they do not need as much water or food as we do, their endurance is also much greater than ours, making them fighters that do not tire easily. They also specialize in some medicines and poisons made from scorpions or snakes found in the desert and they are immune to most of the poisons."

"South-West of the Desert clan is the Ouskejon kru, or Blue cliff clan. They consist of small villages in the cliffs between mountains. They farm with goats to a lesser extent, their territory is also filled with small deer which they hunt for food and bears that they rarely hunt, but the fur is valuable to the clans when they do hunt the bears. There is a small stream running through the area from which they catch pink-fleshed fish that is a rarity outside of their clan. They are good with ambushes and archery."

She then shows me an area far North to the glowing forrest clan. "The Podakru or Lake people live around a big Lake. They mostly eat fish and they specialize in trading with plants found inside the lakes that are used as medicine. They are also good with hand to hand combat.

Their neighboring clan to the West is the Delfikru or delphi clan. They live in a mountainous area and they have built a network of caves in which the venture. They use viruses which are found in the cave animals as weapons to weaken the enemies. The area is rich in minerals and salt. They are also specialized warriors who have adapted to venturing in the dark so their eyesight is well developed and their soldiers are invaluable in tunnels or at night."

"Further West to the Delphikru is the Ingranrona or the riders of the plains. They live in open fields. They farm with cattle and wheat, the latter from which the bread are made. But the thing that makes them revered the most are their horses. They…"

"Horses" I interrupt "I have always wanted to see a horse."

"You will Klark" she says.

"Really?" I ask beaming. "I believe so, one day." I deflate a bit at the one day part, but maybe there is hope yet. "Do you have a horse?" I ask curiously. "Of course….let's continue, we are almost done" she says. I push my thoughts of the horses to the back of my mind to think of later.

"The Ingranrona breeds only the purest of horses. Warhorses, fast horses, horses for endurance. Their warriors are also taught from a young age to fight from the back of a horse."

"The above mentioned clans fought battle after battle, losing many people. Sometimes they formed alliances between one another but even that was mostly for war strategy so their was no friendliness or respect between those clansmen and old grudges were upheld and they sometimes sought revenge against one another and some much needed alliances were crumbling. That's how they started banishing their criminals to the cold ice lands. This became a popular punishment in the clans and sometimes the banished would take their families with, or find people along their way.

This is how the Azgeda or Ice Nation were formed." She points to where they are located on the map, North to the Trikru. "They thus consisted of strong, battle-hardened and angry men. The Azgeda grew and grew and soon became the largest clan by motivating their clansmen from the beginning to have children to increase there numbers, and also by taking in the clanless, forcing lone stragglers to join them and by kidnapping children from the surrounding clans to raise them as their own and add them to their armies when they are old enough.

When the other clans found out about Azgeda they realized their mistake with the banishment and other more lenient punishments and this is where jus drein jus daun had its origin. The Azgeda trained their warriors hard with the goal of revenge and their conditions hardened them even further. They would sometimes seek revenge against the clans who wronged them and until recently they were still waging war. They are ruled by the Ice Queen and her lover who are cruel and they still are the Trikru's biggest enemy." The commander says this with venom in her voice. "Do all Trikru hate them this much or is it personal?" I interrupt her and she looks at me, expression schooled but jaw clenched. "I will tell you that when you tell me the whole story of your injuries" she snapped clearly mad. I stay quiet but now I am even more intrigued. She sighs, unclenching her jaw and continue the lesson. "Their territory is yearlong filled with ice and snow and the furs they trade are far more superior. They train the best assassins and their warriors are skillful in all forms of battle."

"The Floukru, or boat people is a clan only formed recently. They live somewhere on the ocean to our East. No one knows the precise location for they are mostly refugees who laid down their weapons looking for a more peaceful way of life. They trade in the most delicious fish and they sometimes make jewelry from the shells they find along the beach."

"When I became commander I worked to join the clans together and form the coalition, we all have a common enemy in the maunon or mountainmen who has stronger weapons than us and hide in their fortress, Mt. Weather as it was called. They've been taking our people who are then either never seen again or come back as reapers who kill us and kidnap even more of our people. The maunon

have also sent a missile to a village who tried to fight back. So with a common enemy our clans have joined and we have established peace and trading between each other in the hope that one day we can fight back.

Due to some clansmen still holding grudges against one another and not being able to let go of their fighting ways, strong rules and punishments are still in place, our harshest one being jus drein jus daun."

After learning all this I feel drained and I look to my watch seeing it is in the afternoon now, 15:49. I was so interested in this history that I didn't even realize the time going by. The commander gets up and so do I stretching my limbs after being seated for so long. "I think that is enough for today" she says. "Keep the map and study it. This will come up later." And with that she strides out the door. I can not decide what to make of her. At times she is nice but most of the time she is closed off. I guess I will take it day for day and decide later what I think of her.

I pour myself a glass of water and walk around a bit in the room and then I go to the window studying the people below, hand itching to draw. I am bored and tired which isn't a good combination. I look at the city and its people until about 18:00. After that I practically fall on the bed and fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow. I am so deeply asleep I do not hear Elsa entering with dinner, nor do I hear her exit. I sleep until early the next morning.

 _~End of chapter~_

 **Translation:**

 _Jus drein jus daun -_ blood must have blood

 **Thanks for reading, hope it was ok.**

 **Leave review if you want to and tell me what you think or tell me if there's something specific you want to see. Constructive criticism welcome, if you dont know what the constructive type of criticism is, look it up.**


	9. Companionship

**Sorry for the delay in update, I had a busy week and weekend. Also had some minor difficulties on how to proceed, but for now my mind is clear on the next few chapters. I do also know where I want to go with this fic, just not always sure how to get there, but outlines for the next few chapters are set in my mind**

 **Thank you also for the reviews**

 **This chapter might be a bit different from the others but it has some importance in leading up to what's to come.**

 **Trigedasleng is written in cursive**

Chapter 8

It's been a week since I started the nightblood studies and it has been going well, I have been picking up on the Trigedasleng quickly but I realize that I still have much to learn. We always start with Trigedasleng lessons in the morning and in the afternoon the commander teaches me more of her people's history, traditions and the 12 clans, she has also detailed out each of their duties within the coalition. Each clan also has a representative that resides in Polis for meetings and to bring up coalition issues that arises in their clan. In this way all clans are represented equally. I do still find their ways harsh but I have better understanding of it now and I realize the depth there is to their traditions as well as to them as a people. She has not talked about the other nightbloods or the nightbloods' role in the coalition yet and I wonder how I can convince her of my loyalty so that she may trust me. Her attitude still leaves me confused, she is mostly cold and distant, but I see glimpses of a kind and caring side to her too and thus I am still left to reserve judgement for later.

Elsa has also come to visit me on a daily basis even though my wounds are healed enough to be left open and my fever is gone. I enjoy talking to her although we have not yet talked about anything personal and for that I am grateful, still not yet ready to talk about everything that has happened. So we keep the conversation light, we mostly talk of animals, different plants, food and even the weather. Today though, Elsa won't come to visit because her assistance is needed in a local village and she will be gone for about a week.

So this afternoon I am left to my own devices and I'm bored. I study the map that Heda has given me again but by now I know it by heart. I stand up and walk to the window thinking…thinking of the markets, the economy, the people and their children, all in all I think of grounder society and how it was build from the ground up. The farm animals and horses that I so dearly want to see and touch. I still look longingly out the window and for the first time I think of escaping. I don't want to leave permanently, only for a couple of hours. To a certain degree I have come to realize that I have a place here and I also have a new found respect and understanding for the grounders. I just have to get the commander, or more specifically the other grounders putting pressure on her, to trust me. But in the mean time, I am bored.

Decision made I think of a plan to get out. First I make sure I look all grounder which isn't that hard since I've been given grounder clothes to wear, I just get a shawl to cover my blonde hair. After I put this on I go to the small window and plan. My plans don't take me far so I decide to just do it and take it step by step. First I climb on and then sit on the windowsill so that my feet hang out and I can move from there. As I am fully outside I am glad to see the rough brick walls make good footholds. Slowly and steadily I start descending, my hands start to hurt but I persist until my feet hits the floor.

I breathe hard and my shoulders burn as I stand with my feet firmly on the ground. Where to now? I think to myself. I would like to visit the market stalls but I am afraid I'll be recognized as skaikru and I don't want to make it too obvious by not knowing how to trade. So I just walk through the market while carefully observing how they do business. It seems you can either trade with goods or some sort of coin. As I come to the gate surrounding Polis I just keep my head down and move forward. I move in the opposite direction as from where I came initially. I don't plan on going far because I have to head back so I can somehow get to the room…. It stresses me a bit thinking about getting back into the tower but I did decide to take it one problem at a time.

As I walk through a pathway in the woods I hear a faint howling and it sounds distressed and pulls on my heartstrings drawing me towards it. I move slowly and quietly and I come across a bit of a clearing. I find remnants and signs of a fight, or more specifically a hunt, judging by the animal remains. There's no signs of human weapons being used here, looks like a big pack of animals was here, but they left the area it seems. I find a small wolf pup trying to eat some of the remaining deer that was left behind but it's struggles is in vain for it is still very small and the soft tissue of the deer has already been eaten only leaving dried skin, bone and some sinew from what I can see. In between its struggles it gives small howls obviously hungry, frustrated and alone. I walk slowly towards the puppy and when it sees me I see it starting to tremble all the while trying to make itself look bigger. It's a beautiful puppy with light grey and white fur and blue-ish grey eyes.

I slow down even further holding my hands out reflexively hoping it sees that I'm not a threat. "Hey little one" I say with a soft and reassuring tone. "I am not going to hurt you" as I get nearer I get on my knees to appear smaller and I continue talking, hoping to calm down the little wolf. It still watches me with it's big eyes but doesn't make a move to get away from me. "You're a brave one aren't you?" I say as I slowly reach towards the puppy until I can softly scratch its head and behind its ears. It seems to calm down a bit and closes its eyes as it moves towards me and against my legs. "Where's your mum?" I ask the puppy. I sit and wait a bit thinking what to do while the pup crawls onto my lap seeking comfort. I suddenly hear voices talking and coming my way. I scoop the puppy up into my arms and hide behind a bush. They are talking Trigedasleng and luckily I can now understand most of what they say. " _Yes Indra, the wolves won't bother_ ………." They talk fast and at times I can't catch the words, but I mostly understand. " _We ….. yesterday eating a deer in this area. We chased them ….. area and killed one. Last we….headed North._ " The hunters pass me and I realize that this pup is all alone in the world and needs a new beginning just like I did. I am pulled from my thoughts by the pup's stomach rumbling and I remember that I should get to the room quickly before dinner is brought. With that I hide the pup in my shirt and quickly make my way to Polis tower.

When I get to the tower I look it up and down and spot my room and I am not sure how I will get there. I really didn't think this escape through. " _What are you doing?_ " I hear a voice behind me, I do not know this person. " _I'm just looking_." I say without turning around hoping they will leave. " _You're not from around here are you?_ " He asks. " _No_ " I plainly state. He moves to stand next to me and without really wanting to I turn to look at him. He is one of the teenagers that trained with the commander when I first got here, a nightblood. He is around fourteen years old with blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He is a couple of inches shorter than I am. He studies me and I see the recognition in his eyes. "You're Clarke kom Skaikru" he says in English and I don't confirm it, waiting to see what his next move is. "Aren't you supposed to be inside the tower?" I nod stiffly to his answer. I see a mischievous glint in his eyes and a smirk appear. "You need my help getting back in don't you?" he says. "Yes, will you help me?" I ask without being able to contain the hope in my voice. "It depends… why were you outside?" Instinctively I pull the pup tighter against me while trying not to be too obvious and I answer truthfully. "I was bored, I am kept in a room day and night and after the lessons, I have nothing to do with no one to talk to. Would you not have done the same?" He nods in understanding. "Ai laik Aiden kom Trikru" he says holding out his arm in the grounder greeting. I grasp his forearm and nod in greeting. "Follow me Clarke and keep that shawl on to cover your hair" so I follow, trusting him to guide me to my room and somehow get me inside.

We walk past the guards who let us pass without batting an eye. "We'll take the stairs, the people who know of you usually go to the higher levels and will use the elevator." As we move onto the first floor a smell fills the air that makes my mouth water. And almost immediately there's a howl coming from inside my shirt. Aden looks at me and suddenly the furry bundle squirms howling again. "What is that?" Aden asks. "I don't know what you're talking about" I deny in vain as the bundle moves again. Aden stops and gives me a look. I sigh. "It's a puppy I found when I was out in the woods, she was alone and hungry. I think she smelt the food just now and that's probably why she howled." Aden looks at me in awe and smiles at me. "Don't let Titus find out….but I shall help you" he says seriously. "I have an idea, wait here" he says running into the kitchen. When he comes back it's with a tray containing a plate with food, an empty plate and a glass of milk. We continue up the stairs and as we come to the 3rd floor Aden hands me the tray telling me to keep my head down, it's a bit difficult with the pup tucked into my shirt but it's just for a few seconds. We near the guard and I hear Aden talk to them saying that Heda sent us to bring Clarke her dinner, the guards want to argue but when Aden reminds them that Heda will not take kindly to her orders being disobeyed they let us enter.

I sigh in relief when I enter the room with Aden. "Mochof Aden….how can I repay you?" He smiles, that mischievous glint back in his eyes. "Well… show me the puppy. I always wanted a puppy. Dogs are quite rare here and Titus won't allow us to have one…. Once... we found a little sick bird on the forrest floor and wanted to nurse it back to health. When Titus found out he wanted to take the bird away saying we didn't have time for taking care of animals and that it was weakness. But heda came and said that nursing the bird will teach us to care for those that can't take care of themselves. We set the bird free the week you came." He babbles excitedly. I then untuck my shirt and pull out the little furry puppy. "That's not a dog!" Aden says gaping. "I know, but did you know that dogs are all derived from wolves?" The puppy squirms again and I put her down pouring the milk into the extra plate Aden brought. The puppy immediately starts lapping up the milk. "What are you going to call her?" he asks. "Uhm…. What about Emma?" He shakes his head. "Ok, Sheba?" Another shake… I start laughing at my next idea… "what about Heda?" We laugh a bit at that thinking the commander's face would be priceless if she found that out. "What do you think Aden?" Aden stays quiet, thinking. "Well something resembling strength. Heda once told us about an ancient society that believed in gods who each had a certain strength and from that came their duty, there was one god for wisdom and war strategy…I can't remember the name…" I sit quietly thinking, and nod in approval when I remember the name. "Athena" I say. "Yes!" Aden says smiling looking at Athena who is now inspecting the room, sniffing at everything. "What are you going to do with her during the day?" He asks. I bite my lower lip thinking. "I think she'll sleep most of the day because she's still a very small puppy, as long as she isn't hungry you will be able to keep her a secret. I would offer to take her during the day but I'd rather have Heda find her than Titus." He says picking her up and stroking her fur. "Titus is the bald man, yes?" Aden nods. "Can you maybe just take her out a bit tomorrow morning and bring her back before my lessons again?… You know so she can do her business outside." Aden's face lights up "I can do that and…. I'll think of what to do when she gets bigger and more active." I smile at him and he hands Athena back to me. "Don't worry Clarke, your secret is safe with me. But I have to go now before they start looking for me." I nod to him "Thanks again Aden." He takes the now empty plate I ate from with him and exits the room, leaving the milk and the extra plate we brought. I hope the guards don't notice that two people entered and only one left but Aden is smart and I trust him. I get ready for bed. And Athena curls up against me as we are both taken into sleep's embrace.

The next morning I am awoken by something wet pressing into my face. I yelp and realize it is Athena licking my face. "Morning little one…. Did you sleep well?…I did too. So…wanna drink the rest of your milk?" I take her into my arms and put her on the floor pouring more milk onto the plate and setting it in front of her. She immediately starts lapping at the milk, clearly enjoying it.

I hear a knock at the door and Aden enters bringing me breakfast, Athena immediately perks up and excitedly trots her way towards Aden "Hey Athena…. Morning Clarke" he says setting the plate on the table and picking Athena up. "Morning Aden, did you sleep well?" I ask. "No, I was too excited thinking about spending time with Athena. How did you two sleep?" "So good, she's warm and cuddly, we both slept until she woke me up earlier" I say while going to stroke Athena's head. "I am going to take her to a clearing outside and play with her. That might tire her a bit" he says ever the thoughtful one. Since when are teenagers this mature? I nod to Aden confirming my agreement and give a quick scratch on Athena's head before Aden tucks her into his shirt and leave the room. After he left I eat my breakfast and ready myself for the day. When Aden returnshe is out of breath clearly having run and he hands me a sleepy Athena "I have to go now Clarke. I'll stop by later and I'll sneak you out and then we can both play with her" he smiles. "Thanks Aden."

The rest of the day goes by much like the previous days. Heda comes and teaches me Trigedasleng, whereafter we have a light meal. It is during these meals that I have the most difficulty concealing Athena. I had to think on my feet before she started making a noise and I somehow slipped her a piece of meat which I now have to give her each time, it luckily keeps her busy for long after the meal since she's still struggling to chew. Heda must think I'm a really loud eater though. I just hope that I'm free before she finds out about Athena. After lunch I learn about clan politics, leadership, grounder history and some of their spiritual beliefs. When Heda leaves I am usually left on my own for a bit, wherein Athena and I play and I give her more milk which Aden always makes sure I have. It's usually not long until Aden comes to sneak me out, we started getting creative to not let the guards see me leaving or enter. Aden can make such good diversions or engage them in good conversations which gives me time to slip past them.

A couple of days later while the commander and I were having lunch Athena started getting restless and suddenly she gave loud howl. The commander's head shoots up and she fixes her eyes on the movement coming from inside my shirt before fixing her gaze on mine…. I can literally see how her ever thinking mind put the pieces together. She is furious.

 _~End of chapter~_

 **Thanks for reading**

 **Next chapter will see a confrontation and a much needed talk. Also your questions about the skaikru will briefly be answered.**


	10. Athena to be rewritten

Chapter 9 for rewrite

I agree in part with amanda's criticism, so i'll see what i can do to improve here and change it.

Please remember english is my 2nd language and this is the first time i try to write… hoping to develop my right hemisphere of brain too. Nonetheless i do agree with a big part of her critique

Sorry people for expected delay


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